>we should remember that Columbo was a fictional character Sure, which is why I included a link for those not familiar. >whose presentation had little to do w

>we should remember that Columbo was a fictional character Sure, which is why I included a link for those not familiar. >whose presentation had little to do with the actual work of solving crimes. It seems very plausible to me that for a pre-meditated murder, the perpetrator might very well try to create fake but valid-seeming evidence pointing away from them, as much as creating an alibi. So I think the need to distinguish real evidence from fake (as Columbo is wont to do) is very much involved in the actual work of solving crimes.